Looking back
now, as she marks two years in office, she said that was just the first of her
surprises.

Bonamici was
elected in a special election in January 2012 to replace Rep. David Wu, who
resigned in the wake of a sex scandal. She was sworn into office representing
Oregon's 1st District on Feb. 7, 2012.

For any recent
arrival in the minority, chances to make much of a legislative footprint are
hard to come by. But Bonamici has carved a name for herself as a clear-headed
team player who is especially responsive to constituents. She also has a thing
or two to say about bipartisan rancor and – in what may strike some as another
surprise – cooperation.

"Of course, it
made a big difference that I was in the majority in Oregon, and now I'm in the
minority," Bonamici, who served in the Oregon House and Senate before joining
Congress, said in a recent interview. "But partisanship here in D.C. is so much
more pronounced. In Oregon, we had working relationships with Republicans."

The workload was
another adjustment.

"Between floor
votes, hearings and meetings, a typical week in Washington is about 70 hours,"
she said. "And back in the district, it's about 60 hours, a lot of which is
spent with constituents."

That doesn't
include cross-country flights to and from Oregon, which she visits every week
to meet with constituents. Her husband, U.S. District Judge Michael Simon,
continues full-time residence in Oregon.

Bonamici's
office handles a flood of constituent questions: almost 162,000 emails,
letters, faxes and phone calls since she was sworn in, according to Abby Tibbs,
Bonamici's district director. In 2013, that came out to an average of 1,910 a
week.

"The type of
inquiries we get has stayed consistent, but because she is so personally
invested, our caseload numbers have gone up," Tibbs said. "We don't outsource
our work or hand cases off to an agency or other party. Staffers and Suzanne
work each case until we're absolutely sure it's resolved."

Requests cover a
wide array, from veterans' claims to Social Security benefits to immigration,
Tibbs said.

On friction
between the parties, Bonamici said some of it is embedded in the system. In the
Oregon Legislature, for example, committee staffers are hired on a nonpartisan
basis. That's not the case in Congress, where committees have separate
Republican and Democratic staffs.

Rep. Suzanne Bonamici works at her office in Washington, D.C., in this photo provided by her staff.Rep. Suzanne Bonamici's office

"This makes
everything less efficient and more challenging," said Bonamici, 59, who's
seeking re-election in November in her solidly Democratic district. "The result
is we have two to four versions of everything."

Still, Bonamici said
the public has misperceptions about Washington gridlock – notably, that
cooperation is impossible and that members do little real work.

She acknowledges
partisan battles, of course, but also sees signs of progress. The farm bill
just passed in both chambers, she noted, and lawmakers struck a budget deal in
December that resulted in the successful January spending bill. That averted
another government shutdown.

"There's a
greater inclination to collaborate, and more instances of people willing to get
things done," she said. "With all of these bills, they weren't perfect. Nobody
got everything they wanted. But most members realized we're a diverse nation
with diverse needs, and we have to move forward as best we can."

Bonamici also
sees the chance to collaborate on issues that don't get as much attention. As a
member of the House Science Committee and the top Democrat on the environment subcommittee,
she recently co-sponsored an amendment with Rep. Chris Stewart, R-Utah, on a
bill to improve weather forecasting.

"The original
bill would have taken resources away from climate research," she said. "So I
sat down with Chris Stewart and told him I wanted to work with him on this so
that it could get Democratic support in both chambers. We wound up passing it
in committee on a voice vote, and I think it has very good chances on the
floor."

Stewart agrees, and
credits Bonamici for building what he called "a relationship of respect."

"She's very
smart, she understands the issues, and when you're speaking with her, you know
you won't be able to pull the wool over her eyes," he said. "She is the type of
person who will socially engage Republicans and Democrats alike."

Bonamici is also
trying to find middle ground on trade. The Obama administration has asked
Congress to approve "fast track" legislation to speed consideration of trade
bills, including a Trans-Pacific Partnership deal between the U.S. and 12
nations. Under a fast-track process, the White House negotiates a trade deal,
then takes it to Congress for an up-or-down vote, without amendments.

Most Democrats
in the House and many in the Senate, oppose current fast-track language on
grounds that it doesn't include environmental, consumer and labor protections.
Many also dislike the secrecy surrounding TPP talks.

Bonamici is among
Democrats who would approve fast-track legislation if it gives Congress a
bigger say and includes those core protections and help for workers displaced
by trade.

"My district has
a lot of trade-dependent jobs," she said, citing "a lot of potential" for
export growth in the tech sector as well as specialty crops, wheat and wine.

"But we have to
make sure any trade bill has key protections so that its benefits are shared
overall," she added. "So I'll be watching this very closely."

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